BREAKING NEWS 2017

After too long in limbo, at last there is much to report:

DEAD FIX, the 2nd in the Det. Insp. Todd “Ratso” Holtom series will shortly be published in paperback and as an e-book – see details below

HARD PLACE, the first in the Det. Insp. Todd “Ratso” Holtom series will soon be published as a 2nd edition in paperback and as an e-book.

DEADLINE VEGAS, a stand-alone thriller is also close to publication in paperback and as an e-book.

MY BACKLIST

Endeavour Press of London will publish a selection of my previous books, full details of which will be announced before long.

Hard Place

Hard Place – 374 pages (paperback)

Free-wheeling London detective Todd “Ratso” Holtom is on the front-line against a ruthless international gang that imports drugs into the UK and Europe. His nephew has died from drug abuse and Ratso is obsessed with bringing down the London king-pin who seems immune from arrest. The trail leads to the USA and the Bahamas where he is helped by Kirsty-Ann Webber, a svelte Florida detective who has troubles of her own. Mayfair club-land and the Mediterranean feature as Operation Clam races to a climax in a series of dramatic confrontations.

Inspired by the facts of true crime and set against the background of the war in Afghanistan from where the drugs are coming, Ratso enters a political minefield involving London and Washington D.C.

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly recommended 23 July 2015 By S M Robb

Format:Kindle Edition

I decided to buy this book because it was based on a real case. The plot was fast paced, characters well constructed and believable. The action takes you from the depths of London’s clubland to the Caribbean and back again. Along the way we meet gangsters, chancers and glamorous police women all involved in one of the biggest drug smuggling cases in recent times. There are many twist and turns which makes the book very difficult to put down. I read it over a weekend. I would highly recommend this book as a holiday read. Douglas Stewart has done a great job and has created in Detective Ratso a character who is quick witted, clever and a worthy addition to the action thriller genre.

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent couldn’t put it down 12 July 2015 By Nanny beach

Format:Kindle Edition | Verified Purchase

Amazing couldn’t stop reading, this was worth five stars as I am definitely going to buy this for friends over Christmas.

Looking for something specific?

2nd in Series

Inspired by real events, Dead Fix is the second of the Det. Insp. Todd “Ratso” Holtom series, following on from Hard Place. Ratso investigates international sports match-fixing, a labour of love for this London detective. Billions are being staked on fixed results using a global black-market. Following a vicious attack on seeming innocents, he realises that he is up against more than bent players as he tackles the shady and murderous world of criminal gangs.

The trail points to a mastermind operating from Dubai and India. But are Ratso’s instincts failing him? Once again he is supported by colleagues, Jock Strang, Tosh Watson and Nancy Petrie. As the investigation twists and turns, fresh evidence points to the USA. Here, his svelte long-distance lover, Det. Kirsty-Ann Webber of the Ford Lauderdale Police Department yet again proves her worth as the scope and scale of the investigation race to a dramatic climax.